


Together Alone

by AnonymousAss



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Bittersweet, Captain America: Civil War (Movie), M/M, POV Steve, kinda sad if you know the ending to infinity war
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-22
Updated: 2019-02-22
Packaged: 2019-11-03 16:44:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,186
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17881472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnonymousAss/pseuds/AnonymousAss
Summary: After two years of zero interaction following their civil war, Steve Rogers receives a call from the phone he gave to Tony Stark.





	Together Alone

**Author's Note:**

> I actually wrote this several months ago, but I just found it so I thought I'd upload it lol

When the flip phone Steve hadn't used even once in two years rang for the first time, he was definitely, most certainly surprised. He couldn't say that he hadn't touched the thing every day and made sure it never ran out of battery, just in case, but he had never imagined that it would actually physically  _ring_. He had thought up a multitude of ways he'd answer the phone and what he'd say, but never expected the situations to come true. And yet, here he was, holding the small cellphone he had pulled out of his chest pocket, listening to its ring break the silence of the shabby hotel room.

The first thought that went through his head was, "It reached him." And then, "He kept it." After Steve had mailed the phone to the Avengers compound after the fight in Siberia in hopes of it reaching Tony, he had spent days and weeks hoping and praying Tony would even get it, that he would keep it, consider using it. Knowing Tony, would he take one look and throw it away? Or would he still maintain an inkling of that deeply ingrained trust of Steve and safekeep that one thin line of connection between them that was left?

Steve knew he had ruined the relationship that had previously existed between him and Tony along with all hopes of repairing said relationship. There was no denying it, and he understood what he had done to Tony. That didn't stop him from hoping.

Two years later, he now knew Tony had kept it all this time, and a small thrill went through his chest. Hope. But it was a futile hope; if Tony was calling, then things had gone so far south that he was requiring Steve's help after everything that had happened. Tony was stubborn. He most likely could've lived his whole life without ever calling Steve—he would probably rather suffer injuries from enemies than call Steve and admit he needs help from him.

Basically, it was not a good sign that the phone was ringing. Rather, it shouldn't have been a good sign, but Steve found himself experiencing a whirlwind of anticipation on top of the nagging feeling that something was very wrong.

Steve breathed out slowly before flipping open the cellphone before the rings stopped. The screen lit up, and the green call button flashed. Steve pushed it and brought the phone up to his ear.

He had spent hours thinking about what he would say when answering Tony's call, but when the actual moment came he found that he had nothing to say other than a tentative "Hello?"

"Oh, thank God you picked up," replied a voice that was definitely not Tony's, sounding very relieved yet terse. Steve blinked.

"...Sorry?" was all he could say. His mind was reeling. The only phone that could access his number should've been the one he sent to Tony. What had happened to him?

"Oh, my bad!" the voice quickly apologized. "It's me, Banner! Bruce Banner."

Steve blinked again. "Doctor Banner?" he said, partly astonished because everyone had thought he had died in the Hulk form during the battle in Sokovia, but still mostly confused.

"Yeah, I'm back," Bruce said on the other line sheepishly but with a serious undertone. "A lot has happened, but I'm calling because the universe is on the brink of a wipeout. We need your help. Thanos is coming for the Infinity Stones; Vision is in danger. They already got the Time Stone, and it's only a matter of time until they find the Mind Stone!"

Steve paced around his room. "Okay, hold on for a minute. I got that it's an emergency situation. But... this is supposed to be Tony's phone. Why are you calling me? What's happened?" He paused. "Where's Tony?"

After a few silent moments, Bruce answered. "Tony's not here."

He proceeded to explain how two of Thanos' minions had come down to Earth in a doughtnut-shaped spaceship and abducted the wielder of the Time Stone, Doctor Stephen Strange. Tony, whilst fighting these aliens, had followed the spaceship in pursuit of Strange and the Stone and had disappeared into space along with young Spider-Man.

It was something Tony would do, get on an alien spaceship and fly off into space to save the universe. Steve smiled wistfully to himself.  _The world's strongest defender._

"We don't have any access to him and we don't know if he's safe," Bruce continued. "But... he was ready to call you, Steve, although he didn't look that happy about it. He had the phone out right as we were interrupted by the aliens."

Steve imagined Tony stiffening at the mere mention of him and immediately rejecting the idea of calling him. He imagined Tony pulling out the small flip phone Steve had sent him right out of his pocket and scowling at the screen. And then the realization that Tony always carried the phone around hit him, and he stopped pacing.

"I see," he finally said when he realized Bruce was waiting for a response. "Thank you, Doctor. If you could report this to Colonel Rhodes, that would be great. We're going to need his help. I'll find Vision and head back. We can discuss what to do from there then."

Bruce thanked him. "Be careful," he warned, and Steve puffed out a determined breath.

"You too."

He lowered the phone and flipped it shut, ending the call. He stepped back and sat on the bed and pinched the bridge of his nose. As if on cue, a curt knock sounded on his door followed by Natasha entering the room. "Was it Tony?" she asked, stopping to stand halfway between the door and Steve's position on the bed.

"No, Tony seems to be MIA," Steve replied, fiddling with the device in his hands.

"Well," said Nat, "that doesn't sound like a splendid situation."

"It doesn't," Steve murmured, lost in thought. "And we're gonna go make it better. Tell Sam to suit up."

"Aye aye, Captain," Natasha replied, one of her signature half-smirks on her face. After a moment, she looked at him with her unreadable expression. "Now you know it wasn't one-sided," she said quietly, watching him.

Steve nodded. "He kept it with him all the time and brought it everywhere." He looked up at her and gave a small smile. "Guess I wasn't the only one who still cared."

After Natasha left to call Sam in for their battle plan meeting, Steve stood and moved over to the window and looked out at the bleak landscape. He imagined Tony in a dark and foreign spaceship, searching for the Stone, saving its wielder, exchanging banter with Spider-Man... He held the cellphone tighter and looked up, observing the darkening sky and the first specks of light where stars were beginning to appear.

_We won't be fighting side by side this time, but we aren't fighting each other, and that's all that matters._

_We fight this one together._

_Win, and come back, Tony._

 

\-- If we are all alone, then we are all together in that, too. --


End file.
